Liverpoolhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/taxonomy/term/4161/all
enCuts hitting poor show 'a sickness at the heart of our society', says Deanhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/17840
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<p>Spending cuts hitting the poorest in areas like North East England are “a profound sickness at the heart of our society,” a senior church leader says.</p>
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<p>Spending cuts hitting the poorest in areas like North East England are “a profound sickness at the heart of our society,” a senior church leader says.</p>
<p>The Anglican Dean of Newcastle, the Very Rev Chris Dalliston, made the remark to council leaders, bishops and MPs gathered by the Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Rev James Jones - who has also called on the government to think again about its cuts.</p>
<p>“It seems North is being pitted against South,” declared Dalliston. He described the situation brought about by cuts as “urban against suburban and rural, workers against unemployed, deserving against ‘undeserving’ poor”.</p>
<p>The Dean of Newcastle believes church leaders on Tyneside are seeing signs of society fragmenting as austerity takes hold. </p>
<p>“We will continue to call for a more just distribution of the considerable resources that still exist,” he adds, continuing: “The health of a nation is revealed most clearly by the way it treats its most vulnerable members. If that is true, and I’m sure it is, then there is a profound sickness at the heart of our society.</p>
<p>“For some of us in the North East, a region that seems to have struggled more than many down the years, that unfairness is compounded by our relative geographic isolation and by the modest scale of our populations ... there is nowhere else for people to go, and our infrastructure is arguably less resilient.</p>
<p>“At a local level there is a case for a robust debate about how and where cuts are to be made, but the danger that brings is that the bigger picture is obscured in the arguments about this library, that leisure centre, this neighbourhood initiative.</p>
<p>“It might be easy to indulge in a victim mentality or blame culture. We need to try to maintain both a principled level of debate and a high degree of transparency,” concludes the Dean.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Newcastle's council leader, Labour's Nick Forbes, who has been accused of by unions and anti-cuts campaigners of accommodating too much to the coalition government, declared: “At times of national economic crisis we need to strengthen, not undermine, our commitment as a nation to fairness.</p>
<p>“Newcastle and Liverpool are among many cities to have placed fairness at the centre of their response to the crisis we find ourselves in. But we cannot deliver fairness within our cities when our cities are treated so unfairly by [central] Government.</p>
<p>“Political decisions, allocating £26 billion in public spending, are hidden behind a complex and confusing financial system, understood by a handful of people.</p>
<p>“That’s why I have called for an independent process – jointly commissioned by central and local government – to re-establish confidence in a broken system we can no longer trust.</p>
<p>“In Newcastle we have had to propose cuts of £90 million over three years. The Autumn Statement has loaded a further £10 million. There is nowhere else for people to go, and our infrastructure is arguably less resilient,” he concludes.</p>
<p>[Ekk/3]</p>
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<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Community and FamilyEconomy and PoliticsNews Briefchurch leaderscutsEnglandgovernment cutsLiverpoolNewcastlepovertyUK Newswelfare cutsTue, 22 Jan 2013 01:10:54 +0000staff writers17840 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukBishop of Liverpool challenges 'unfair' government cutshttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/17830
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<p>The Anglican Bishop of Liverpool is asking the government to review and re-examine the criteria upon which their current public spending cuts are based.</p>
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<p>The Anglican Bishop of Liverpool is asking the government to review and re-examine the criteria upon which their current public spending cuts are based. </p>
<p>Speaking at a summit he hosted alongside the Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, the Rt Rev James Jones said: "We do best as a society when we provide for others out of our sense of humanity what we provide for our families out of a sense of affection."</p>
<p>Leaving little doubt about his personal concern for the way the most vulnerable appear to be suffering most under the weight of austerity and cutbacks, Bishop Jones, who has been high profile in the struggle of the Hillsborough families for justice, warned that some of Britain’s major cities risk “atrophy and death” as a result of present policies. </p>
<p>In his keynote address to a summit which include political and faith leaders from Birmingham, Bristol, Newcastle and Sheffield, the bishop spoke out of a pastoral concern for the city citing the stories that are coming from our churches' experience at the front line of social welfare.</p>
<p>Speaking on BBC radio on Saturday 19 January 2013, Bishop Jones declared: "When society goes through difficult stages and experiences trauma there is a need for a sort of social triage which involves the pastor, the prophet and the politician. Pastors must come alongside and hear the cry, prophets must speak clearly about their diagnosis and politicians must prescribe solutions. Society needs all three."</p>
<p>He added that "faith communities through our different sacred texts have an acute sense of justice," and said that "out of their pastoral experience often speak prophetically about the need to share fairly the wealth we have".</p>
<p>Bishop Jones commented that some of the poorest areas in the country were having to sustain cuts that “do not feel fair” to those on the receiving end and those working with the most marginalised.</p>
<p>He said: “The cities here represented today know that it is within their boundaries that the severest cuts are being endured with figures of £200 to £300 being cut per person. This compares with other parts of the country where the cuts are a third of these being sustained in some of the most challenging areas.”</p>
<p>A government spokesperson said that this claim was "wrong" and that the bishop "is not comparing like with like". But critics of the government's cuts programme said that this is precisely the point -- the uneveness lies in what is being done. Smaller, wealthier authorities are benefitting in comparison to larger, more complex ones.</p>
<p>The coalition is also seeking to spin and divert attention from the combined impact of local authority, welfare, benefits and jobs cuts on the most deprived regions by listing a series small 'special' or 'discretionary' funds. However, the cumulative impact is still appears highly detrimental; something the government is keen not to admit. </p>
<p>“Urban diabetes is where the blood pumps around the heart but fails to reach all parts of the body,” Bishop Jones said, explaining a metaphor for the problems of the cities which is derived from his own direct experience of the afflication. </p>
<p>He continued: “The challenge we face is to ensure that the wealth that we do have is shared in such a way that it flows around the whole body to every extremity. If in social terms it fails to do so then we will be faced with the danger of parts of the body atrophying and dying.”</p>
<p>The Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson said that his city was being asked to shave the equivalent of £252 per person, while affluent areas of north Dorset were losing just £2 per inhabitant.</p>
<p>He explained: “There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that if you take away 52 per cent of a city's funding; and when you force us to cut £141 million in two years and you come back for another £143 million in the next four; when you keep coming back causing more pain; when you refuse to listen, you add insult to injury and you cause alienation and disaffection.”</p>
<p>Free Church leaders have spoken out strongly against the cuts that are hitting the welfare of the poorest in Britain. </p>
<p>The chair of the Church Urban Fund has criticised punitive government welfare cuts and the emaciation of the social contract behind the welfare state.</p>
<p>Church leaders in the North East of England have warned the government that slashing spending and emaciating state provision is having a “scandalous” impact on communities in their region.</p>
<p>Some Catholic and Anglican leaders have also made public statements. But it is grassroots initiatives among Christians, alongside others, where the resistance is strongest.</p>
<p>Christianity Uncut, for example, is "a network of Christians campaigning against the UK government's cuts agenda and the injustices of capitalism. We are inspired by Jesus, who took nonviolent direct action in the Jerusalem Temple in solidarity with people who are exploited and marginalised."</p>
<p>* Bishop of Liverpool: <a href="http://www.liverpool.anglican.org/index.php?p=60" title="http://www.liverpool.anglican.org/index.php?p=60">http://www.liverpool.anglican.org/index.php?p=60</a></p>
<p>* Christianity Uncut: <a href="http://christianityuncut.wordpress.com/" title="http://christianityuncut.wordpress.com/">http://christianityuncut.wordpress.com/</a></p>
<p>* More from Ekklesia on the cuts: <a href="http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/governmentcuts" title="http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/governmentcuts">http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/governmentcuts</a></p>
<p>[Ekk/3]</p>
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<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Economy and PoliticsNews Briefbishop of liverpoolchristianity uncutChurch Urban Fundcutsgovernment cutsjames jonesLiverpoolUK NewsUK uncutwelfare cutsSun, 20 Jan 2013 00:38:20 +0000staff writers17830 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukHillsborough: the long injustice of stereotypehttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/17051
<p><a href="http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/17051" target="_blank">read more</a></p>Community and FamilyPeople and PowerNews BrieffootballhillsboroughLiverpoolmediapoliceviolenceBlogSun, 16 Sep 2012 21:47:07 +0000Jill Segger17051 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukMinister backs enquiry as thousands remember Hillsborough tragedyhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/9250
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<p>Thousands of people took part in a united memorial service on Merseyside yesterday, remembering 96 Liverpool football fans killed 20 years ago in the Hillsborough tragedy.</p>
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<p>Thousands of people took part in a united memorial service on Merseyside yesterday, remembering 96 Liverpool football fans who died 20 years ago in the Hillsborough tragedy.</p>
<p>The supporters were crushed to death on 15 April 1989 during Liverpool's FA Cup semi-final tie with Nottingham Forest at Sheffield Wednesday FC's Hillsborough stadium - a neutral venue for the high profile match.</p>
<p>A crowd of some 25,000 people at the memorial event gave a massive ovation to familes of the victims, many of whom still believe that their loved ones were victims of an injustice.</p>
<p>They want a new investigation to discover why the tragedy took place. As well as carrying placards, they broke into chants of "Justice for the 96" during UK Culture Secretary Andy Burnham's speech at the service. </p>
<p>A single inquest was held covering the deaths of all the victims at the time. It recorded a verdict of accidental death, but did not investigate what happened after 3.15pm on the day, when it is recorded that the last person died of "aggravated asphyxiation". </p>
<p>Mr Burnham has now joined calls for a "full investigation" into all the events that took place on that fateful day. "The public interest lies very clearly in full disclosure", said the Secretary for Culture, Media and Sport</p>
<p>Liverpool supporters were in the Leppings Lane end of the Sheffield stadium 20 years ago. South Yorkshire Police, who oversaw the event, opened a large exit gate that forced too many Liverpool fans on to the terrace, leaving the fans inside trapped between people entering the ground and the metal fences at the front of the stand. This remains a major source of contention.</p>
<p>Blame is also placed on Margaret Thatcher's government, which had insisted that fans be fenced in to prevent hooligan outbursts. The enclosures were removed after the tragedy, and the subsequent enquiry chaired by Lord Taylor led to sweeping changes in domestic football, including all-seater stadiums at big grounds. </p>
<p>At the memorial ceremony yessterday Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina, the team's manager Rafa Benitez, coach Sammy Lee, players Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard, ex-boss and player Kenny Dalglish, and the manager of local rivals Everton, David Moyes, were among those greeted with sustained applause.</p>
<p>The stadium fell silent as the Hillsborough death toll was read out and a candle was lit for each victim. The city's rival fans, Liverpool and Everton supporters, stood side by side, arms around each other in shared grief.</p>
<p>The service started at 2.45pm and a two-minute silence was held at 3.06pm, the exact time the game was abandoned two decades ago. At the end of the silence, church bells from around the city rang out 96 times.</p>
<p>Opening the service, the Anglican Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Rev James Jones, said: "On this day, the 20th anniversary of the tragedy at Hillsborough, which broke the heart but not the spirit of our community, Her Majesty the Queen has asked me to say that her thoughts and prayers are with us and all those affected by the tragedy." </p>
<p>He added: "For many here today it seems still like yesterday. Those we lost {are) always in our minds. Never a day passes without a thought of what their tomorrow might have been, without that longing for justice for their sake as well as for ours."</p>
<p>The Hillsborough Families Support Group have led a two-decade long campaign for a full investigation into the events which led to the deaths.</p>
<p>At the service, Trevor Hicks, the former chair of the group, vowed the fight for justice would continue.</p>
<p>As he address the mourning fans, he added: "Still together, still determined, still resolved as ever that the truth will defeat the lies and propaganda." </p>
<p>Another activist, Anne Williams, who lost a son, recently had an appeal for a re-opening of his inquest turned down by the European Coury of Human Rights, but vowed to struggle on. </p>
<p><em>On the BBC:</em> A survivor, a parent and couple describe their Hillsborough experiences - <a href="http://tinyurl.com/cm5hxd" title="http://tinyurl.com/cm5hxd">http://tinyurl.com/cm5hxd</a></p>
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<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Life and DeathNews Brieffairtrade footballfootballhillsboroughLiverpoolUK NewsThu, 16 Apr 2009 01:48:13 +0000staff writers9250 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukGiving up Establishment for Lenthttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/6774
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<p>The natural presumption of Establishment insulates the Church of England, says Simon Barrow. Even worse, it takes the opposite direction to Jesus, who rejected worldly power in the Temptation that Christians recall during Lent.</p>
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<p>One of the things about being in a position of privilege over many, many years is not just that you take it for granted, but that it seems perfectly and inviolably "natural". Indeed having your position at the top table questioned feels like an affront to your dignity and a threat to your security - as it no doubt did for Jesus' disciples when they were rebuked by him for putting themselves first.</p>
<p>Bishop of Liverpool James Jones spoke effusively of the "unique position" and responsibility of the Church of England on BBC Radio 4 this morning ('Sunday', 17 February 2008). Indeed, if I counted right, he used the word "unique" on four occasions within three minutes, claiming that the <a href="http://ekklesia.co.uk/node/6771">Establishment</a> of his Church under the Crown and the presence of 26 unelected bishops in the (equally unelected) House of Lords was a perfectly beneficent arrangement that gave it a "unique opportunity" to speak on behalf of others in a goodly way. Who could possibly object to something so harmless, wholesome and reasonable?</p>
<p>But the whole point is that people, especially those at the margins, should surely be able and allowed to speak for themselves, and to do so on the basis of equality, rather than to be put in a position where they have to rely on the charity of bishops -- especially when, as my colleague and friend Jonathan Bartley gently but forcefully <a href="http://ekklesia.co.uk/node/6772">pointed out</a>, those bishops sometimes discharge the "burden and responsibility" (Rowan Williams) of being the state church by using their parliamentary voting rights to thwart public equalities legislation and exempt themselves from it. [1]</p>
<p>The point is not that the C of E doesn't do any good, but that the good it does do does not have to rely on claiming a special status, and that the special status limits and sometimes undermines the good it does, as well as its standing with others who believe in fairness and freedom. From the viewpoint of those who see the anomaly of Establishment very clearly, those not tucked away within its councils, this point is rather evident. For those who form part of the Establishment the criticism is most puzzling, and usually met with blank astonishment - together with lavish claims about their ("unique") goodness which just sound more and more patronising and out-of -touch, frankly. Oh, to see ourselves as others see us. Very painful.</p>
<p>What we seem to have at the moment in England is "creeping disestablishment", going back to the time of the nineteenth century Reform Acts, some would say. But it is a long and drawn out process that is not really enabling the Church of England, and others in its slipstream, to take a different destiny by the horns. The reason this constitutional arrangement needs to go is that, apart from being unfair and unsustainable in a plural democratic society (no other modern European democracy has unelected church leaders in its legislature), it actively insulates the Church from reality (maybe the Archbishop of Canterbury's recent embarrassment is an example of this), and puts it in a societal position which the one it proclaims as its Lord and Saviour deliberately avoided.</p>
<p>Jesus, born into vulnerability rather than privilege, took the path of downward mobility to move among those rejected, despised and marginalised by overbearing religion and unjust political rulers. They conspired to kill him. He was vindicated not by an earthly fiat, but by the unboundedness of God's transforming, life-giving love. </p>
<p>That narrative lies at the very heart of the Gospel. It is what promises to change our lives and to bring us into a new kind of community, the <em>ekklesia</em> of equals. It is about foot-washing and communion, not reserved seats and banquets for the few. </p>
<p>Indeed, during the season of Lent the contradiction between the Church seeking the preservation of privilege and Christ disdaining it is especially marked and poignant, because we look back to Jesus' 40 days and nights in the wilderness, refusing the devilish blandishments of power, status and instant solutions. Ouch. </p>
<p>Would it be too much to ask the Church of England to give up Establishment for Lent (and then for good), to rediscover its vocation and <em>evangel</em> alongside people; existing with them, not in a <a href="http://ekklesia.co.uk/node/6719">protected zone;</a> speaking with them not for them? At the moment it would. But it is right that some of us go on asking, no matter how unpopular or puzzling it is - even to bishops like James Jones, who has shown <a href="http://ekklesia.co.uk/node/6699">courage and dignity</a> in other respects.</p>
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<p>(c) <strong>Simon Barrow</strong> is co-director of Ekklesia. His blog can be found here: <a href="http://faithinsociety.blogspot.com/" title="http://faithinsociety.blogspot.com/">http://faithinsociety.blogspot.com/</a> He contributed a chapter called 'Beyond the rhetoric of establishment' to the book <em>Setting the Church of England Free</em>, edited by Kenneth Leech (Jubilee Group, 2002). Simon is an Anglican, a member of a parish in Exeter, and has worked as an adviser in adult education and training for the Church of England, as well as collaborating and consulting on many church-community projects. </p>
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<p>NOTE</p>
<p>[1] Bishops in the House of Lords follow from Establishment, which is the constitutional link between Church and Crown. The two are technically distinct, but effectively connected. The same applies to other privileges, exemptions and financial advantages granted to the Established Church.</p>
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<!-- google_ad_section_end -->People and PowerReligion and SocietyNews Briefbishop james joneschurch of englandestablishmentLiverpoolSimon BarrowCulture and ReviewSun, 17 Feb 2008 09:35:23 +0000Simon Barrow6774 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukEvangelical bishops differ on sexualityhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/6752
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<p>Two evangelical Anglican bishops have come out with contrasting statements on homosexuality recently, points out Mark Vernon. One recognises that the issue is about love, the other sees only rules, it seems.</p>
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<p>Last week, an essay written by James Jones, the Bishop of Liverpool and a leading evangelical, came to light in which he argued that the Bible includes remarkable accounts of same-sex relationships. </p>
<p>Jones come as near you can, without actually saying it, to suggesting that the Bible sanctions committed gay love. This represents an apparent change of mind and is doubly notable since, though known as a conservative who was willing to talk about homosexuality, he was one of those bishops who publicly protested when Jeffrey John was appointment Bishop of Reading, a couple of years back, an appointment that was subsequently withdrawn because of homophobic pressure. In the essay, he apologises for that behaviour.</p>
<p>However, in a newly-published book, Michael Scott-Joynt, the Bishop of Winchester and another leading evangelical, argues against the 'public advocating and vaunting of behaviour contrary to the teaching of the Church of England'. He is referring, in particular, to gay clergy who have talked in public forums - like the Church of England General Synod - about the blessing of being in a same-sex relationship. Scott-Joynt believes that the teaching of the Bible, the tradition and the Church is at risk of being ousted by the joyful testimony of such personal experience.</p>
<p>The gap between the attitudes these two bishops now have towards homosexuality strikes me as interesting - and not just in terms of who's up and down in the Anglican gay wars. It would appear to have opened up not because of any new ethical debate about the rights and wrongs of gay sex; nor exactly because either bishop has managed to squeeze another justification for their position out of the Bible - two ways in the which the debate is typically conducted in the church, and with growing futility.</p>
<p>Rather, Jones seems to have recognised that gay people love each other; and Scott-Joynt refuses to do so. Moreover, Jones is wondering whether gay love is potentially of the same quality as that between Jesus and John or David and Jonathan. Scott-Joynt, on the other hand, prefers the weight of the law to the lightness of the spirit; he prefers to keep pulling at the levers of ecclesiastical power rather than consider the fruit of gay love, 'by which you shall know them.'</p>
<p>It seems to me that this is the crux of where the gay debate has got to today, as much as it characterises the difference between the two bishops. For when love is recognised, it can only be a matter of time before the preacher of the gospel of love comes round. This is what has happened in Jones' case. It is love that has yet to move Scott-Joynt. </p>
<p>And there is another twist to add to this tale of love. The philosopher Michel Foucault pointed out that it is because homosexuality is really about love, and not just say rules of sexual conduct, that it becomes so contentious. If men and women just 'did it' together, Foucault argued, no-one would really mind. Moral authorities could publicly assert the prohibition and keep themselves pure. Individuals caught in the act could repent. This is precisely how those ecclesiastics who are anti-gay have, and want to keep, playing it. </p>
<p>But gay men and women love each other. That is what it means to be homosexual. And when people love, the 'act' cannot be isolated - which is why the distinction between orientation and practice is so ridiculous. Their whole lives, body and soul, act in accordance with their love. That is the joy and transformation for those who are free to love. That is the source of anger and disturbance for those who would deny it.</p>
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<p>(c) <strong>Mark Vernon</strong> is the author of 'After Atheism' (Palgrave Macmillan, 2007). <a href="http://www.markvernon.com" title="www.markvernon.com">www.markvernon.com</a></p>
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<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Community and FamilyReligion and SocietySex and GenderNews Briefbishopschurch of englandhomosexualjames joneslesbian and gayLiverpoolscott-joyntwinchesterFeaturesThu, 14 Feb 2008 07:54:56 +0000Mark Vernon6752 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukLeading Evangelical bishop calls for fresh approach to sexuality rowhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/6699
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<p>Bishop of Liverpool James Jones has called for a change of heart among Evangelicals in the bitter argument about sexuality, Scripture and authority. But he has not fully sanctioned same-sex relations, as some media reports have suggested.</p>
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<p>The Anglican Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Rev James Jones, has called for a change of heart among Evangelicals and others in the often bitter argument about sexuality, Scripture and authority.</p>
<p>But Bishop Jones has not, as reports in The Guardian and the Daily Mail newspapers have suggested, directly sanctioned same-sex relationships. In a lecture delivered at the end of 2007 and published in a new book designed to build-bridges in the run-up to the Lambeth Conference, he nevertheless points out that it is possible on the basis of the Bible to recognise that people of the same gender can have deeply involved emotional and physical friendships. </p>
<p>The bishop, who is a senior figure on the Evangelical wing of the Church, also forthrightly apologises for the form of action he took in opposing the appointment of Canon Jeffrey John, who declared himself to be in a non-sexual gay partnership, as Bishop of Reading. He expresses sorrow and regret over its hurtful impact, but he does not state that his reasons for doing so at the time were wrong.</p>
<p>Bishop Jones’ stance will nevertheless be seen as a considerable move forward by Christians arguing that an inclusive stance towards lesbian and gay relationships can be affirmed on traditional and Scriptural grounds, rather than a liberal rejection of those premises. And it is likely to be received with concern and suspicion by those who wish to maintain a hard line rejection of such relationships.</p>
<p>In his Lambeth Essay, entitled ‘Making Space for Grace and Truth’, which appears as a chapter in a new book edited by scholar-bishop Kenneth Stevenson, A Fallible Church (Darton Longman &amp; Todd, 2008), the bishop also questions the Windsor process established within the Anglican Communion to try to mediate the dispute over homosexuality.</p>
<p>He writes: "I worry about the Windsor proposals not because I doubt the courage and integrity of those who are working on them but because I fear that they will take us in the direction of narrowing the space and of closing down the debate on this and any future issue where Christians find themselves in conversation with their culture on some new moral development or dilemma. The result is that energy is sapped by internal definitions rather than released into engaging with the world so loved of God."</p>
<p>The bishop’s comments are based on the practical experience of a tripartite ‘listening process’ between three very different dioceses, Liverpool, Akure and Virginia, as well as pastoral and theological reflection. He encourages considerate, faithful and exploratory engagement as the way forward – rather than the suspicion and hostility that has often been to the fore in recent years.</p>
<p>“The historic partnerships within the Anglican Communion can offer a different context for the debate about homosexuality where there can be a genuine dialogue between people whose mutual trust and affection protect them from jumping too soon to conclusions and keep them in conversation because a long time ago they learned to think the best and not the worst of each other,” writes Jones.</p>
<p>Emphasising the grace of God in Christ as the key transformative principle, and the actions of the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) in which the early church creatively negotiated a potential split over fundamental identity, Bishop Jones says that Anglican “talk of ‘impaired communion’ … seems to undermine the doctrine of grace and certainly shrinks the space within which to have frank theological debate.”</p>
<p>Citing the Old Testament story of the close emotional and physical bond between David and Jonathan, Bishop Jones situates this and other examples within ‘a theology of friendship’. He adds: “[A]t this point some will ask, ‘Was the friendship sexual?’, ‘Were they gay?’ […] ‘Were they bisexual?’ I want to resist these questions at least initially. Immediately you start using such words you conjure up stereotypes and prejudices. Further, you assume that it is a person’s sexual inclination that defines their personhood. Is it not possible to say that here are two men with the capacity to love fully, both women and men?”</p>
<p>Regarding his own role, Bishop Jones writes: “I had been one of the nine Diocesan Bishops to have objected publicly to the proposed consecration of Dr Jeffrey John, now Dean of St. Albans. I deeply regret this episode in our common life. I regret too having objected publicly without first having consulted with the Archbishops of York and Canterbury and subsequently apologised to them and to colleagues in a private meeting of the House of Bishops. I still believe that it was unwise to try to take us to a place that evidently did not command the broad support of the Church of England but I am sorry for the way I opposed it and I am sorry too for adding to the pain and distress of Dr John and his partner. I regret too that this particular controversy narrowed rather than enlarged the space for healthy debate within the church.” </p>
<p>He adds: “I have wrestled with writing the above for fear of opening old wounds but I cannot give a true account of my part in the continuing debate without acknowledging the history I brought to the table. In the same way (and they must speak for themselves) the Bishops and correspondents from Africa and America needed to acknowledge their own stories in coming to the conversation.”</p>
<p>The <a href="http://liverpool.anglican.org/people/bishops/jamesspeeches/0712_Lambeth_essay.htm">full article can be read here</a>, on the Liverpool diocesan website.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.darton-longman-todd.co.uk/book_details.asp?bID=458">new book</a>, A Fallible Church, has contributions from leading Anglicans with different stances and starting points in current debates, including Dr Stevenson, who is also Bishop of Portsmouth, the Rt Rev John Gladwin, Bishop of Chelmsford, the Rt Rev Graham James, Bishop of Norwich, and Canon Mark Chapman, vice-principal and lecturer in systematic theology at Ripon College Cuddesdon. </p>
<p>Simon Barrow, co-director of the religion and society think-tank Ekklesia, which has argued that an inclusive stance towards lesbian and gay people is compatible with the historic commitments of mainstream Christianity, welcomed both the book and the fresh tenor of its contributions. </p>
<p>“Whether you think he has gone too far or not far enough, the Bishop of Liverpool has made an honest, brave and thoughtful contribution to the painful Anglican debate about sexuality, authority and Scripture,” he commented. </p>
<p>“Those seeking a simple reversal of the majority Evangelical position will be disappointed, but so will those who want to leave that section of the church unchanged. Hopefully Bishop Jones’ essay will enable deeper listening, less acrimony, and the admission of a wider range of voices to the debate – including other Evangelicals who have found themselves moving towards a Gospel-based inclusivity.” </p>
<p>Barrow added: “Making a narrow view of sexuality the ‘deal or no-deal’ foundation of the church and its mission is a practical and theological mistake of massive proportions. This is something those outside have so far recognised more easily than many of those caught up in the row.”</p>
<p>-----</p>
<p>Also available on Ekklesia: <a href="http://shop.ekklesia.co.uk/search.php?keyword=kenneth+stevenson">titles by scholar Kenneth Stevenson</a>.</p>
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<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Community and FamilyReligion and SocietySex and GenderNews Briefa fallible churchbiblebishop james jonesdltGospelsHomosexualitylesbian and gayLiverpoolold testamentscripturesexualityUK NewsThu, 07 Feb 2008 09:35:29 +0000staff writers6699 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukWilliams recognises Liverpool's city of culture achievementhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/6567
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<p>Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams will honour Liverpool's achievement in taking on the mantle of European City of Culture by making a two-day pastoral visit to the Diocese and people of the area later in January.</p>
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<p>Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams will honour Liverpool's achievement in taking on the mantle of European City of Culture by making a two-day pastoral visit to the Diocese and people of the area later in January 2008.</p>
<p>During his visit Dr Rowan Williams will deliver a lecture on Christianity and Culture in Liverpool Cathedral, reports the Religious Intelligence news website, affiliated with the Church of England Newspaper.</p>
<p>While he is in the city, Dr Williams will attend a Holocaust Memorial Day event at Liverpool Town Hall with Chief Rabbi Dr Jonathan Sacks. The two men are known to share some common interests and a degree of mutual admiration.</p>
<p>The Archbishop, who is spiritual head of the Church of England and of the 77 million worldwide Anglican Communion, will preach at Vespers in Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral to mark the Centenary of the Week of Prayer and Christian Unity. </p>
<p>The divsions in his own church over authority, Scripture and sexuality make the Week especially significant and poignant for Dr Williams.</p>
<p>A special service to mark that ecumenical centenary will also be held in Westminster Abbey, London, next week.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the Archbishop will receive an honorary degree from Durham University. Dr Rowan Williams will be made a Doctor of Divinity in a service at the city's cathedral. </p>
<p>A spokesperson for the university said: "An honorary degree is the highest accolade a university can bestow, and only a small number are awarded by Durham to major achievers on the world stage who have strong Durham links."</p>
<p>Dr Williams is an acclaimed scholar of theology and philosophy, a noted poet and author, as well as being the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury.</p>
<p>He was linked to the university through its theology department, whose members have included mentors to him during his studies, says the Northumberland Gazette.</p>
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<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Education and CultureNews Briefarchbishop of canterburycity of cultureEuropeLiverpoolrowan williamsUK NewsSat, 12 Jan 2008 00:20:22 +0000staff writers6567 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukCity council pulls arms investments out of pension fundhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/6018
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<p>In a significant demonstration of growing opposition to Britain's involvment in the arms trade, Liverpool City Council has voted unanimously in favour of pulling its pension fund out of arms investments.</p>
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<p>In a significant demonstration of growing opposition to Britain's involvment in the arms trade, Liverpool City Council has voted unanimously in favour of pulling its pension fund out of arms investments. </p>
<p>The Council has written to the Merseyside Pension Fund to call for a clean investment policy that rules out arms companies. This is the first time that a council in the UK has passed such a resolution.</p>
<p>Peace, development and church groups are among those who have been actively working on the issue, often through the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), which was formed in 1974 and has gained widespread recognition for its research and lobbying in recent years. Among its successes is the impending closure of the Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO). Christian student organisation SPEAK was among those working for that outcome, and a church service in London marked it recently. </p>
<p>The pioneering Liverpool resolution was proposed by Liberal Democrat Councillor Richard Oglethorpe. It insists that "investment in the arms trade is not compatible with good corporate, social and ethical governance". The Leader of the Council, Warren Bradley, is now writing to the Leaders of the four other Councils covered by the Merseyside Pension Fund to encourage them to express them the same view to the Fund. Two of the Councils - Knowsley and Sefton - are expected to consider similar resolutions shortly. </p>
<p>Liverpool resident and chairperson of Merseyside Stop the War Coalition, Mark Holt, who campaigned for the Council to adopt this policy, said: "People in Liverpool were appalled to discover that the Merseyside Pension Fund invests in arms companies such as BAE, Rolls-Royce and Boeing. Now Liverpool has given a lead to every other council in the country. Now we can hold our head up as next year's Capital of Culture. We've shown that we're also the Capital of Conscience!" </p>
<p>CAAT spokesperson Symon Hill commented: "Congratulations to Liverpool! We're delighted that they have taken such a major step. It's vital that other councils in Merseyside back this proposal and pull Merseyside Pension Fund out of arms companies. Public opinion in the UK has turned sharply against the arms trade in the last year, and I am confident that Liverpool will be the first of many." </p>
<p>Liverpool's decision is the latest in a series of setbacks for arms companies, caused by the strength of public opinion over the last year. Following a high-profile campaign by CAAT and other groups, the Prime Minister announced in July that he would close down the controversial Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO), a publicly funded unit that finds sales for private arms companies. </p>
<p>In June 2007, the multinational company Reed Elsevier, organiser of the biennial DSEi arms fair in London, decided to pull out of the arms trade by the end of 2007.</p>
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<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Peace and WarNews Briefarms tradecaatcampaign against arms tradedesoinvestmentsLiverpoolpensionUK NewsFri, 26 Oct 2007 00:00:13 +0000staff writers6018 at http://www.ekklesia.co.uk